Music has long been important in the state. The Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, founded in 1815, continues to perform. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the finest in the country, and its associated Boston Pops Orchestra draws large crowds to summer concerts. The Berkshire Music Festival (now officially Tanglewood Festival), at Lenox, offers both instruction in music and performances for the public. The New England Conservatory of Music is located in Boston.

The colonial society of Massachusetts supported such painters as Gilbert Stuart and John Singleton Copley and artisans like Paul Revere. Many fine examples of their work are contained in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Other museums include the Gardner Museum,the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Cambridge, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, and the Worcester Art Museum.

HISTORICAL SITES

The state's 350 years of continuous settlement have left Massachusetts with many historical houses, forts, factories, and battlegrounds. Remnants of earlier transportation systems include the nation's first railroad, primitive canals, and extensive early turnpikes. Entire villages have been re-created with scrupulous care.

Boston's historic sites are linked by a Freedom Trail, supervised by the National Park Service. Along the trail are the Old North Church, Paul Revere's house, Faneuil Hall, and the Old State House. A Black Heritage Trail and a Women's History Trail recently have been established. The early Plymouth settlement is memorialized by several monuments and a re-creation of the original primitive settlement.

The battle areas associated with Lexington and Concord have been designated a National Historic Park. Many cities and towns have established historic districts. Several private organizations such as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities serve as caretakers of important historic buildings. Homes of famous authors open to the public include those of Herman Melville, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and John Greenleaf Whittier. The site of the Walden Pond cabin where Henry David Thoreau lived has been found and excavated.

RECREATION AND SPORTS

Massachusetts has three major recreation seasons. In the summer many residents and tourists enjoy the state's sandy beaches, particularly in the Cape Cod National Seashore. In the interior many lakes and ponds provide water recreation. Extensive hiking trails, some a part of the Appalachian Trail, are open to all, and state parks and state forests are available for public enjoyment. Winter activities include skiing, skating, and tobogganing. Autumn travelers can view spectacular foliage from marked highway trails. The state supports many sports organizations, including the New England Patriots and the Boston Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox.

COMMUNICATIONS

Massachusetts is well served by all forms of modern communications. Nearly every city has its own daily newspaper, and weekly papers serve small towns and rural areas. The internationally distributed Christian Science Monitor is headquartered in Boston. Boston supports nine television stations, including the nationally recognized WGBH (a public station), and 52 radio stations.

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

MANUFACTURING

Until recently Massachusetts had more workers in manufacturing than in any other economic sector. An early start was given to manufacturing in Massachusetts by its numerous grist and saw mills and by its artisans and cottage industries. By the time of the American Revolution nearly every town produced leather and textile goods, metalware, and furniture.

The Industrial Revolution came early to Massachusetts, and the first half of the 19th century saw the flowering of nearly all of its present manufacturing cities. Textile weaving was the most important industry, followed by shoe manufacturing.

During the 20th century most of these low-value consumer goods industries have moved elsewhere and have been replaced by industries of higher value such as electronics. Several major computer manufacturers are located in the state.

ENERGY

Massachusetts uses hydropower for only a small share of its electricity. Petroleum and natural gas provide the bulk of the state's power. There is one nuclear power plant located in Plymouth.

AGRICULTURE,FORESTRY,AND FISHING

Massachusetts is not a major agricultural state. Dairying is a primary source of farm income along with poultry raising. Many farms now grow specialty crops such as cranberries, apples, tobacco, and vegetables. Forest-related industries are negligible. Small quantities of hardwoods are cut for furniture and firewood, and there is some production of white pine lumber. Fishing has long been an important economic activity in Massachusetts; Gloucester, New Bedford,and Boston are its major ports. In recent years Massachusetts has ranked highest among the New England states in the value of its commercial catch. Cod and lobster are among the major species caught.

TOURISM

Tourism has grown in economic importance in Massachusetts since World War II. The state offers both a rich history and recreational opportunities. Many cities and towns have historic sites and exhibits for tourists.

Transportation and Trade

Transportation in Massachusetts relies heavily upon the automobile and truck. The state has an excellent highway network, including long stretches of the Interstate Highway System. Many modern airports serve the state, and Boston ranks high in both the nation and the world in annual air passenger traffic. It is also an important shipping center.The state's once-fine railroad network has been radically reduced, but both Amtrak and Conrail have service within the state.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

The constitution of Massachusetts was adopted in 1780. As amended, it provides for a governor and lieutenant governor who serve 4-year terms. Also elected for 4-year terms are the secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, and auditor. The governor appoints a cabinet of 10 secretaries. The legislature is known as the General Court and consists of the 40-member Senate and the 160-member House of Representatives. Legislators are elected to 2-year terms.

The highest court in Massachusetts is the Supreme Judicial Court. A hierarchy of trial courts operates within the county structure. The 14 county administrative bodies in Massachusetts are relatively weak, with powers limited to managing the court system, operating various correctional institutions, and overseeing, in part, highway construction and health services. Most of the counties are run by elected commissioners.

The state has 351 cities and towns. No contrast exists between incorporated or unincorporated areas as elsewhere in the country. Cities are usually governed by a mayor and a board of aldermen or city councillors. Towns, run by selectmen, hold many of the powers vested in counties else- where. Operating funds come largely from real estate taxes. These, however, were significantly reduced in some areas by a property tax reduction law,dubbed "Proposition 2 1/2," that was ap proved by the state's voters in 1980. Massachusetts has pioneered in regionalizing such public services as water supply, sewerage and solid waste disposal,and certain transportation activities including mass transit in metropolitan Boston.

A stronghold of the Democratic party, the state has 10 legislators in the U.S. House of Repre- sentatives, the great majority of whom are Democrats. The state legislature is also largely composed of members of that party. Since 1900, however, Republicans--including Calvin Coolidge-- have served as governor more often than Democrats.

FACTS ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS

LAND:

Area: 23,934 sq./km. (9,241 sq./mi. ); rank: 45th.
Capital and largest city: Boston (1992 est. pop., 552,000).
Counties: 14.
Elevations: highest--1,063 m (3,487 ft), at Mount Greylock; lowest--sea level, at the Atlantic coast.

PEOPLE:
Population (1994 est.): 6,041,000; rank: 13th; density: 297.59 persons per sq./km. (770.7 per sq./mi. ).
Distribution (1990): 84.3% urban, 15.7% rural Average annual change (1990-94 est.): -0.1%.

EDUCATION
Public enrollment (1993 est.): elementary--642,000; secondary--232,000; higher (1992)--183,000.
Nonpublic enrollment (1989): elementary and secondary--124,603; higher (1992)--240,000.
Institutions of higher education (1992): 117.

ECONOMY
State personal income (1994): $154.8 billion; rank: 10th.
Median family income (1989): $44,367; rank: 5th.
Nonagricultural labor distribution (1994):
manufacturing--449,000 persons;
wholesale and retail trade--667,000;
government--392,000;
services--974,000;
transportation and public utilities--127,000;
finance, insurance, and real estate--209,000;
construction--87,000.
Agriculture: income (1993)--$497 million.
Fishing: value (1992)--$280 million.
Lumber production (1991): 45 million board feet.
Mining (nonfuel): value (1994)--$157 million.
Manufacturing: value added (1992)--$36.5 billion.
Services: value (1992)--$60.6 billion.

GOVERNMENT
(1997)GovernorWilliam F. Weld, Republican.
U.S.Congress: Senate--2 Democrats; House--10 Democrats. Electoral college votes: 12.
State legislature: 40 senators, 160 representatives.

STATE SYMBOLS
Statehood:Feb. 6, 1788; the 6th state.
Nickname:Bay State
Bird: chickadee
Flower:Mayflower
Tree:american elm
Motto: Ense petit placidam sub liberate quietem
("By the sword we seek peace,but peace only under liberty." )
Song: All Hail to Massachusetts.

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